Rajya Sabha: Elections for 56 seats on February 27
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday said that 56 seats of the Rajya Sabha from 15 states will go to polls on February 27. The term of 50 members from 13 states will conclude on April 2, while six members from two states will retire on April 3. The states where elections will be held include Bharatiya Janata Party strongholds: Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The Congress-ruled Telangana and the Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal are also on the list.
What's the election schedule?
According to the schedule released by the ECI, candidates can file nominations by February 15. The final day for withdrawal of nominations is February 20. Polling is expected to take place between 9:00am and 4:00pm on February 27. The votes will be counted at 5:00pm on the same day. Meanwhile, the date before which elections shall be completed is set for February 29.
Voting for Rajya Sabha polls
Rajya Sabha members are indirectly elected by State Legislative Assembly members through a proportional representation system using a single transferable vote. In this process, each MLA's ballot paper lists as many preferences as there are candidates. The MLAs vote by marking their preferences next to the candidate names. Candidates who secure the required quota of votes in the first round are declared elected.
Transfer of votes, process
If no candidate meets the required quota in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their votes are then redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the MLAs' preferences. This process continues until all vacancies are filled. Rajya Sabha members serve six-year terms, with one-third retiring every two years to maintain continuity in the House.
